By Emmanuel Gamson
Sekondi (W/R), July 10, GNA – Security agencies, public and private institutions within the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis have participated in the national general clean-up exercise as part of efforts to mitigate flooding and other environmental issues within the area.
The two-day clean-up exercise, scheduled for Friday, July 10 and Saturday, July 11, 2026, formed part of the government’s post-flooding mitigation measures across seven regions.
The initiative sought to address environmental and sanitisation challenges recorded from the recent flooding incidents, and promote a cleaner, healthier, and more resilient communities for all.
It was on the theme: “Our Actions, Our Future: Cleaning Ghana after the Floods.”
Participants desilted clogged drains especially at flood-prone areas within the metropolis, cleared bushy areas and swept across some principal streets during the exercise.
Mr Joseph Nelson, the Western Regional Minister, who was on an inspection tour of the exercise, said the move reflected the government’s commitment to promoting cleaner and healthier environment through a collective civic engagement and responsibility.
He said beyond the occasional organisation of clean-up exercises, Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) must strictly enforce their sanitation by-laws to help consolidate the gains made during the national general clean-up campaign.
Mr Nleson said: “The occasional call for us to clean our environment is good but that alone does not entirely solve our sanitation problems, so I believe that the Assemblies must strictly enforce their by-laws and sanctions so that cleaning our spaces become a part of our habits.”
Mr Nelson called on the MMDAs in the region to reintroduce the “Samansaman” system to empower Environmental Health officers to conduct regular sanitary inspections within homes and penalise residents who failed to keep their surroundings clean.
Commodore Samuel Ayelazono, the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) the Western Naval Command, said the consequences of having clogged drains and filth within communities were dire, and that the exercise was a step in the right direction.
“We take this exercise very serious, and I think that this should be a part of us and not a “one-day” thing, because we all know what the filth generate can cause if we are not able to manage it well,” he added.
Alhaji Kamal Abubakar, the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Director of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), commended the security personnel and the others for participating in the exercise.
The clean-up exercise, he said, would help reduce the risk of flooding within flood-prone zones during heavy downpours.
He encouraged the rest of the people to show up in their numbers and clean their frontages during the second day of the exercise to help promote a safe and cleaner environment for all.
The Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly will on Saturday, July 11, will restrict vehicular movements and trading activities to facilitate a metro-wide clean-up exercise from 0600 hours to 1100 hours for the day two of the exercise.
GNA
Edited by Justina Hilda Paaga/Benjamin Mensah
Reporter: Emmanuel Gamson